


Into the Dark

by Angryangryowl



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Ending, Angst, Flying, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Sad Ending, Season/Series 01, Series Finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 20:37:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15565932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angryangryowl/pseuds/Angryangryowl
Summary: There's only really one way to close the rift and stop Abadon...





	Into the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> This gets pretty dark, but is still sappy as hell in places, please heed the tags
> 
> This was in my head most of the time I was writing it....
> 
> Love of mine, someday you will die  
> But I'll be close behind and I'll follow you into the dark  
> No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white  
> Just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark
> 
> If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied  
> And illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs  
> If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks  
> Then I'll follow you into the dark
> 
> (I will follow you into the Dark - Death Cab for Cutie)

'So this is it then..’ Owen looks up at the Captain,  _ his  _ Captain, he realises as he settles into the passenger seat. Headset on, belt pointlessly fastened.

 

'Looks like it’ Jack says, quietly. He could be talking about the weather. It's actually an appropriately grey and grim Cardiff day, the faint purple lines laced through the storm clouds above the only indication that anything was wrong at all. That and they were sitting in an aeroplane, about to try and prevent the apocalypse.

 

Owen has always hated flying. He gets air sick, and vaguely claustrophobic, and he always ends up sitting next to some wanker who wants to the him their life story. No chance of that in a two-man Cessna, he thinks grimly.

 

He hadn't wanted to say goodbye. Not face to face. Tosh, Gwen and Ianto had spent the entire night preparing. Only Tosh knows exactly how dangerous their cargo is. Knows that, whatever happens, this is a sure-fire suicide mission. She'll tell them all when the time is right. Poor woman. The three of them are collapsed together on the couch in the hub, Ianto at the bottom of the pile, sitting, Tosh dozing against one of his shoulders and Gwen sat on his other side, legs draped across both of their laps, nuzzled into his shoulder for comfort. 

 

He and Jack make do, trying not to wake them, kissing each of them gently.

 

Jack lingers on Ianto, kissing his forehead, his mouth, resting his forehead against his for a lingering moment. Whispers something, and stands, shrugging his coat onto his shoulders

 

Owen lingers on Gwen, gently smoothing her hair from her face. Still gorgeous. Still, if he hadn't been so fucking terrified, the love of his life. He presses one last kiss to her lips. Slips the worn silver band from his finger, and into her palm. 'Look after that for me, yeah?’ She stirs, grimacing for a second before settling back against Ianto. It's better this way.

 

An hour later finds them in the cockpit, Owen still with no idea how Jack acquired a light aircraft at short notice. If Jack could even fly a modern aircraft. Still, he thinks with some resignation, he only has to be able to take off, fly a few miles and then….

 

The detonator feels cold in his hand. A glossy plastic cylinder topped with a button which will set off the massive, intricately wired, softly-humming device behind them. Straight into the rift. Blowing them, the plane, and hopefully the entrance to the rift, to kingdom come. Starving Abadon of its power, restoring time to it's normal, fairly linear state. Saving the world and everything, everyone, they love. Unfucking everything that Owen has so totally fucked up.

 

Jack is his normal breezy self as he pulls the choke, carburettor, coaxes the radio into life, reeling off codes like he does this every day 'Squawk one two zero zero, Control, this is G-fourty-six-alpha-whisky, requesting clearance on this beautiful morning…’

 

' _ Good morning, gentlemen, loud and clear, this is control, runway two and you are cleared for takeoff…’ _

 

Jack eases the throttle back, the prop splutters once, twice, and starts. He takes one long look at Owen. Those icy eyes just as scared as his for a moment, searching his face for the confirmation he needs that this is the right thing to do. Owen just nods. Yes. This is duty. Not following Jack, not listening, was what caused this whole mess in the first place.

 

He could have done this trip with Diane. Into the rift, to god knows where...except that she didn't want him, and Jack, Tosh, Ianto and Gwen, they  _ needed  _ him. Still need him.

 

The runway stretches out, still glistening with morning damp, wide and full of promise in front of them. It's not the fucking runway's fault he nearly ended the world.

 

Jack flexes his fingers around the throttle before decisively pushing it forward. They're gathering speed, the grass and trees and damp concrete of Cardiff starting to slip away, faster and faster, until it blurs and with a bump, they're airborne. No going back now.

 

Jack slips one cup of his headset off his ear as they climb steadily, turning to talk to him 'We’ll be there in about ten minutes. Are you ready?’

 

He holds up his hand with the detonator in it, wiggling it a little for effect 'Primed and ready to blow your mind’

 

Jack even laughs. He's still incredibly handsome when he laughs. All white teeth and smiling eyes. Maybe in another life, they could have been together..

 

'Maybe we’ll run into Diane. Maybe she'll be waiting for you…’

 

'Nah.’ Owen replies with a small, self-deprecating smile 'Don’t think I was her type. Not really…’

 

Jack just nods. He's always so bloody understanding. There's something in his manner that always makes Owen spill his guts eventually..

 

'Gwen, on the other hand..’

 

'Yeah?’ Jack takes his eyes of the glowering purple dark of the windscreen, and ignores the ripple of thunder which shakes the little plane 'She’s a good girl. And she loves you. With her whole heart.’

 

'I know.’ His voice sounds soft, regretful, even to his own ears 'I wish I told her that I loved her right back.’

 

'She knows.’ Jack reaches for his hand, keeping one hand on the yoke as he squeezes Owen’s fingers.

 

'What about you? I know..I know you said it all goes black. And we don't even know if you can die. Maybe you'll come out the other side but...do you think anyone will be waiting for you? If you really do cop it this time?’

 

Jack looks thoughtful for a second 'There’s someone I'm hoping for. But like you said, maybe it really will be just the end. Just empty and dark and nothing.’

 

They sit and wonder for a few minutes, hurtling towards the rift, the ground out of sight as they are absorbed by the storm clouds.

 

'I want to say thanks though.’ Owen pipes up as the sky darkens, sparks of lightning illuminating the clouds not far ahead 'You did a lot for me. And while I was here...well, you made it better. You gave me a job and a life and a fucking  _ purpose.  _ Made me feel like perhaps I wasn't a useless sack of shit. And...god, Jack, I'm sorry it's come to this..’

 

Owen wonders if Jack has heard him for a moment. He stares out of the windscreen, fat drops of rain streaking the glass, and announces flatly 'Ten seconds to impact.’

 

But then he's sliding his headset off entirely, turning his body towards Owen and taking the hand holding the detanator, so both their thumbs are on the button.

 

'We don't have long. So I'm just going to tell you this. You're a good man, Owen Harper. One of the best and bravest I've had the privilege to know. And I love you.’

 

'But... Ianto..’ Owen protests

 

Jack fixes him with a knowing smirk 'You and your categories…’

 

'I love you too, Jack..’ For once, he's not arguing, or taking the piss, or being sarcastic.

 

And there's nothing insincere about the way Jack rests their foreheads together, the sky almost inky black and crackling with electricity around them.

 

'Together?’

 

'Together’

 

Jack kisses him, a hard, passionate, world-ending kiss as he strokes the pad of his thumb over the back of Owen’s on the trigger switch.

 

Three.

 

Two.

 

One.


End file.
